I’ve always been a little late to the game.
When skinny jeans first became a thing again in the early 2000s, I remember swearing that I would never be caught dead in them. They looked weird and alien-ish and I thought my hand-me-down bell bottoms were just so much cooler.
Yeah…they weren’t. Nor were they doing my awkwardly boney teenage frame any favors. I finally realized this a couple years later when I first pulled on a pair of skinnies and saw that I no longer looked like I was drowning in my jeans.
Live and learn.
I’ve been seeing recipes for Dutch babies around for a while. I almost made one when I saw Smitten Kitchen’s ginger and spice recipe in her cookbook. After some research, it became clear that these thick, custardy pancakes were totally misnamed – they’re not Dutch, they’re German (seems that “deutsch” got mispronounced somewhere along the way), and there’s certainly nothing babyish about a single pancake that serves four people.
But hey, a rose by any other name…
So, when I was thinking about what to make for Mother’s Day brunch, I stumbled upon Fauxmartha’s recipe for a Blender Dutch Baby and realized that if it was as easy as pushing a button on my blender, I really had nothing to lose in trying it out. And it was the gazillionth dutch baby recipe I’d seen thrown my way – like skinny jeans, it took a little too long for me to accept what is now my new favorite thing.
And let me tell you: it was amazing. German pancakes are like thick, custardy crepes. And who doesn’t love crepes? I could see this being served with berries and syrup, or slathered with bananas and Nutella. What dreams are made of, folks.
But because I was testing this out for Mother’s Day, I wanted to impart a light lemony flavor because my mom is The Lemon’s number one fan. So I created my own version, this time with lemon zest and a bit of white chocolate for good measure.
Topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream flavored with a touch of lemon zest, pistachio, and more white chocolate, this is the most delicious baby I’ve ever tasted.
Now go eat your own baby!
…I’ll let myself out.
Lemon Dutch Baby
By L., adapted from The Fauxmartha
Serves 3-4
4 tablespoons butter
3 ounces white chocolate
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
zest of 3 lemons
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400F. Throw the butter into a 9 or 10” cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe pan) and put it in the oven to melt.
Melt the white chocolate, then set aside to cool slightly. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs to a high-powered blender, or a regular blender on high, and beat until bubbly and pale. Then add the milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and cooled white chocolate and blend on high until combined completely. Throw in the flour and salt, and blend on high for a few seconds at a time until just combined; you don’t want to over mix the batter.
Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the melted butter around to coat the sides of the pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 15 minutes, or until just starting to brown. The center will still look slightly custard-y, and it will be very puffy – but don’t worry, it will deflate as it cools. Serve immediately.
White Chocolate Pistachio Whipped Cream
By L.
For the pistachio paste:
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
scant 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
For the whipped cream:
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 ounce white chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
zest of 1 lemon
Melt the white chocolate and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, then allow it to cool completely.
In a blender or food processor, blend the pistachios and sugar until it is a thick paste that is relatively smooth. Then add the 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to thin it out.
Whip 1 cup heavy cream until it starts to thicken, then add the cooled white chocolate mixture, lemon zest, and 3 heaping tablespoons of the pistachio paste. Continue whipping until you have soft peaks. Serve with each slice of the warm pancake.
(Have fun eating your baby!)